Page 116 of One Last Stand

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

She laughed, then put her mug down and stepped up to him, put her arms around his neck. “Shep—you are the most honorable man I’ve ever met.”

His gaze skimmed down her and back. “Not that honorable. Good thing Moose is picking us up this morning.”

Yes, good thing.

And despite her bedraggled appearance, her ripped dress and one bulky wool sock, and the fact that she was grimy and smelly, he looked at her the same way he had when she’d walked down the embassy stairs before the ball.

Like she was beautiful. Rare. Unexpected.

A black swan.

She simply couldn’t stop herself from rising up on her toes and kissing him. Chaste, sweet, terribly aware of how much she wanted to belong to him.

And to be all he needed too.

He touched her arms, held her there, then lifted his head, his eyes in hers.

I love you, Shep.She should have said it long ago. The words rose through her, took hold. She loved him for his faithfulness, for the fact that he never gave up, for being the one person who would come after her, always.

She opened her mouth to say it, but outside, thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Moose,” he said. “Let’s get off this mountain and go home.”

“Yes,” she said, because he was right. “Finish this. Go home.”

She picked up her mug and finished her chocolate, then poured in the rest of the hot water and scrubbed out her cup. Rinsed it and did the same with his.

The roar had turned louder outside, then stopped.

Shep had folded up the blanket and doused the fire.

“They might have put down somewhere nearby,” Shep said. And then he walked over and swept her up into his arms.

“Oh.”

“I’ll take it from here.”

She looped her arms around his neck. “Okay.”

Footsteps on the deck outside, and he went to the door and opened it.

Stilled.

She, too, froze.

“Cozy?” said Tomas. He wore a stocking cap and a snow jacket and held a gun. “Let’s try that again.”

And with his arms full, Shep couldn’t do anything.

But she could.

She used Shep’s body as leverage and kicked out at Tomas. Her foot hit him in the face, but it totally dislodged her from Shep’s arms. Tumbling free, she fell, hit the deck.

Bounced up to scramble away.Get the gun, get the gun?—

A shot cracked the air. She looked back to see Shep staggering back?—